The Conversationalist

Sunday’s Sermon: This peaceful ballad has been a quite anthem of mine for many years now. And what better way to round off another year then with a hopeful song that encourages us to look in puddles for the (not-so) subtle signs of life. In 2011, where can you see little indications of life (and [...]

This Sunday’s Sermon: With his trademark bushy beard and warm buttery voice William Fitzsimmons sings about the sadness of a relationship ending. Goodbyes are often pauses rather than endings, but still are never easy. But they also permit “hellos.” How do you say goodbye?

This Sunday’s Sermon: God I love Martha Wainwright. And I love how in this song she manages to sum up that specific desperation of wanting to not be alone for the evening. The rules really do change at night. And I will go home with you, if you’re sure. “And I don’t care if you love [...]

This Sunday’s Sermon: It’s no secret that I’m a fan of the “cover.” In this interpretation of the Kate Bush classic, neo-soul artist Maxwell delivers a little slice of male vulnerability to a whole new demographic. For many years I believed that Maxwell was assuming a female voice in the song, figuratively. Yet, as I further [...]

This Sunday’s Sermon: Australian cutie crooner Ben Lee walks in a park with his guitar, playing tribute to one of the biggest songs of 2008 — Kids by MGMT. Joggers bound past. Empty park benches await people-watchers. Ben sings to a dog. It’s like there could be nothing more natural than a guy going for a [...]

This Sunday’s Sermon: Released in 1976, on an album of the same name, “Long May You Run” is supposedly written about Neil’s first car — an old funeral hearse. Others have suggested that the song is written to a friend who he lost to an overdose. But, as a long distance runner, I take it for it’s [...]

This Sunday’s Sermon: Pogo (aka Fagottron on YouTube) is a young Australian buck who takes sound clips from movies and remixes them into new delicious pieces of music. On this track, however, he has ventured for the first time into “the real world” (or at least his mother’s garden) to capture original sound and image. Who [...]

This Sunday’s Sermon: Led by the comforting vocals and introspective lyrics of Tony Dekker, Canada’s folk-rock sweetheart’s Great Lake Swimmers have provided the soundtrack for many crisp, candle-lit autumn evenings spent sipping tea and pondering life’s complexities. In Stealing Tomorrow Dekker sings about the sadness of building walls, and how we might be sacrificing our tomorrows through [...]

This Sunday’s Sermon: The whimsical Florence and her marvelous machine have done some lovely covers in the past couple years, including “Halo” by Beyoncé and “Borderline” by Madonna. But their take on Robert Palmer’s ode to love addiction is the smoothest, not to mention providing crucial support to all of those who suffer from love cravings. Are [...]

This Sunday’s Sermon: Every once in a while a song comes onto my radar that makes me stop and listen. When I heard this song for the first time on Monday afternoon as I prepared to go for a jog, I did indeed stop. The simple expression of taking nothing for granted produced a miniature rainstorm [...]

This Sunday’s Sermon: Britain’s own spritely darling, Beth Orton, is known to link the worlds of electronica and folk music. This track (Central Reservation) is an amped up version of the original song, which is sparse and haunting. Both recordings are lovely in their own regards. It got me thinking… In what areas of my life [...]

[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/15274619] This Sunday’s Sermon: “We are going to explore the cosmos in the ship of the imagination” – Spanish cutie-patootie El Guincho takes us on an intergalactic visual smorgasbord of golden topless women and panda-murdering hunks. It is both contemporary, cutting-edge art AND self-indulgent hipster drivel. And that’s just fine with me. So how can you be politely prophetic [...]